Mary Christ-Erwin

Mary Christ-Erwin, Partner and Executive Vice President, is based in Porter Novelli's Washington, D.C. office. Over the past two decades, she has committed significant attention to the challenges and opportunities presented to industry products and services by issues such as obesity, food policy guidance, issues advocacy and emerging consumer health and nutrition trends. She regularly works with industry and influencer organizations to identify communications strategies to address issues in the context of consumer lifestyle needs, particularly as they target creating synergies among family and community. Currently, she provides ongoing counsel to clients including the Almond Board of California, Nature Made, and SOYJOY, among others. These programs, designed to communicate leadership and demonstrate issue preparedness require significant insight into current and emerging issues. Translation of science into influencer, business and consumer communications on issues is a hallmark of Mary's work for corporations, commodity groups, associations and public/private coalitions. A frequent speaker on development and communication of issues-driven messages, she helps to facilitate the Columbia University Industry Roundtable, created by Columbia's Human Nutrition Institute, has spoken at their meetings and recently was a guest speaker for the new obesity course created by Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons. Mary is a member of the Institute for Food Technologists Nutrition Committee and is a member of the IFT Joint Task Force on food science and nutrition.

"It is an honor to work every day to help promote awareness of the importance of health and nutrition," Mary says. "No matter what the challenge, I am always inspired by the dedication and the talent of the people I work with."